Witness
by The Silent Rumble
Summary: Jake thinks he witnesses a murder. Unsure, he enlists the help of his friend Connor and the two of them get in a lot of bloody trouble. [Coauthered w DMBfan.] ON HITUS
1. Murder?

_**Chapter 1: Witness**_

_**This is a co-write between DMBfan and The Silent Rumble. We do not own Cheaper by the Dozen. Reviews are greatly appreciated.**_

_**Characters are the same age as in the first Baker movie. **_

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**10-year-old Connor walked down the grass where Jake lived. He was wearing a dark brown t-shirt that read 'hey, they all look at me,' and shorts. He had his swimming trunks in his backpack, hopping that Jake would agree to go swimming with him. Last time he'd ditched at the last minute. "Hey," he called as Jake walked outside. "What took so long?"**

"**Long story. You ready to go swimming?" Jake asked. He was wearing a shirt that read 'your face hurts' and his swimming trunks. **

**Connor grinned and shook his wavy, brown hair. "Well," he said, faking a drawl, **

"**Let's skate." **

"**Did I just hear you say _let's skate?_" Jake teased. Usually, the two walked to the swimming pool, about two blocks away. He was already about a half a block ahead of head of Connor on his board. **

"**Shut up," Connor said, easily catching up with Jake.**

"**How's your dad?" Jake asked, meaning David. He was always away on some police call. **

"**Boring," Connor replied. "He's always away. A-w-a-y. He's never home anymore and he's always off on some police work."**

"**What about your mom?" Jake asked.**

"**Fight central. You?" Connor asked, knowing Jake's response. He slipped and fell, wincing as his stomach hit the pavement. He easily picked himself back up and finished skating the full way to the pool. **

"**My parents both work full time now. I've practically got the house to myself most of the time. Kim and Jessica are always off competing at some club thing, Sarah's off doing sports, Charlie's either pissed off or asleep, and I'm just caught in the rut." **

**Jake opened the door to the swimming pool. "It's hot out here," he said, taking off his shirt and slathering his arms with sunscreen.**

**Connor did the same. "Yeah."**

"**Dude, nasty scar," Jake said. He remembered seeing it on Connor's stomach once before, but had never asked where it came from.**

"**Same for yourself. Where did yours come from?" Connor asked, hopping to divert the subject from his scar.**

"**Surgery, a year ago. Car wreck. You?" If Jake felt any shame about his scar, he didn't say so. He looked away for a brief second, staring defiantly at the life guard.**

"**Two surgeries. Appendix. And. Car wreck." **

"**Ouch." The two swam for about an hour before Jake felt tired. His stomach felt funny, too, which was unusual, because Jake could usually swim two or three hours before getting tired. He was definitely the swimmer in the family.**

"**Hey, Connor, if it's ok with you, can we just go home now? I'm exhausted," Jake said. **

"**Yeah, sure," Connor said. "You feeling okay?"**

**Jake shook his head. "My stomach hurts like hell, man." **

"**Fun." Connor's sarcasm matched his own as Connor skated back to the Baker place. "You feeling okay, Jake? I almost never beat you in a race." **

**Jake nodded. "Yeah, besides my stomach hurting," he said. Suddenly, he doubled over and clutched his stomach. "I feel sick." He felt dizzy. **

"**Like how sick do you feel?" Connor asked. He helped Jake sit down on the porch. **

"**I don't know. Pretty sick," he replied, moaning as his stomach reminded him he'd**

**eaten too much for breakfast. He had only eaten eggs, ham and some waffles, but he was quickly reminded that it could – and would – come up in a hurry. **

"**Damn." Connor shuddered. "What should I do?"**

"**Run inside and get me a glass of water," Jake said. "I'm thirsty." **

**Connor nodded and ran inside the Baker's house. It seemed strange; no one was there that afternoon. Jake was supposed to be at his house, but the two had opted for playing around outside. **

"**Want me to get my mom?" Connor asked.**

**Jake quickly shook his head. Connor's mom! No, no, no – he'd much rather has his own mom. But she was at work. **

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"**Hey," Connor said, "that was the first time I beat you."**

"**Only because you turned around," Jake encountered. "Man, what time is it?"**

"**Two-thirty," Connor said, looking at his watch. It was cyan blue and read TWO-THIRTY-FIVE. He had it set five minutes ahead of time thanks to his mother, who insisted that it would help him get places in time.**

"**My parents should be home any time now," he muttered as he glanced upstairs. "Somewhere around three or three thirty." His bed was looking pretty tempting. "I wonder what my mom'll say when I ditch supper."**

"'**Oh, Jakey, are you feeling okay?'" Connor mimicked, and Jake had to smile. Connor could mimic nearly anyone.**

"**I don't feel well," Jake said. "I swear, I'm going to collapse on the porch." **

"**Okay, Jake, bedtime," Connor said, taking charge. "Come on. Your mom will kill me if I don't get to sleep."**

"**Dude," Jake muttered. He was shivering from the cold.**

"**On second thought, get out of those wet clothes," Connor said, feeling like an idiot for not thinking of it sooner. He didn't want to get in trouble for that as well.. "We don't want you getting phenomena on top of anything else you've got."**

"**Can't I just go to bed?" Jake groaned.**

"**No. Go get into some dry clothes," Connor said. **

"**Fine," Jake grumbled and shuffled up to his room. After he changed into a hoodie, and jeans, he crashed into bed.**

"**You gonna live?"**

"Yeah…" Jake groaned. His stomach hurt like hell. Now he knew how Sarah felt when she had the chicken pox.

"**Want anything?"**

"**Ice cream and soda," Jake said. "That's what Sarah got when she had the chicken pox."**

"**Chicken pox?" Connor asked.**

"**I don't know, dude. Can I just have some?" He was hungry, and that was one of the few things that sounded good. The other thing was pizza, but his mother strongly discouraged the use of the oven well they were home alone. That, and all the pizzas were for the pizza night on Friday, which wasn't for another four days.**

"**You think your mom would mind?" Connor asked. He wasn't sure what to think of Jake's mom. She was unique. Well she cared about her children she didn't seem to care about their eating habits. **

"**No," Jake replied honestly. His mom usually let him eat anything he wanted. **

**Connor got Jake the ice cream and the soda, and then left to give Jake some rest. For a ten year old, he wasn't stupid. He didn't want to catch the chicken pox if Jake had them. **

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**Jake's mom got home late that night. When she came into Jake's room, she found him sleeping on his bed. "Weird," she thought. "Jake is usually still up and running around at ten o'clock." For Monday night, this was unusual. 24 was on, and that was Jake's favorite show. She wondered if he was feeling sick, but decided against it. Instead, she decided that he had been tired from going swimming with Connor,**

**She made a mental note to put Jake in an activity like the rest of them. It was much easier to ship the twelve of them off to activity after activity then to pay Connor's mother for babysitting. She wasn't charging very much, but if Jake came home like this every day… **

"**Night, Jake." She brushed her hand over his head and left the room, closing the door tightly behind her.**

**Jake woke up at about 11:15. He cursed himself mentally. "I should've gone to bed at the normal time. I wouldn't be awake now," he cursed himself. He heard a few shrieks at the next-door house. Figuring they were watching TV, he looked over. He was still mad at himself for missing 24. It was his all-time favorite show, and he'd missed it. _'Well, guess I'll just have to wait until the DVD comes out,_' he thought. **

**What he saw instead surprised him. The next-door neighbor, Seth, was down on the floor. The room had no curtains, so he was able to see through clearly. Seth grabbed a knife from his nearby knife collection, and stabbed something that was above him.**

**The figure – which Jake discovered quickly was a person – got up, and was slammed to the floor, by Seth. _Cool,_ was Jake's first thought. _A WEE rock fight._**

**Jake shuddered as Seth owned his opponent, quickly stabbing him/her/it with a knife. The man, as Jake now saw, got quickly up and tried to run for the door, but a solid blow to the head blocked all that.**

**Jake fell down and shook his head. He couldn't believe what he'd just seen. Maybe this was a nightmare. Pinching himself, he winced. He wondered if he had imagined what he'd just seen. Maybe he _was_ going crazy.**

**Falling back into bed, he decided that if it was a nightmare, he could forget about it until tomorrow and wait and see about it. If he still remembered, he would report it to the police – maybe Connor's dad, although he rarely believed anything Jake and Connor had to say, coming from the one time when they were seven and six and reported an alien sighting.**

**But this was different. If what Jake thought was right, he saw a murder. But his eyes _had_ to be playing tricks on him. Right? **

**Right… He couldn't shake the feeling of what he'd seen was real, but he couldn't bring himself to go downstairs and tell anyone.**

**If it wasn't, he could call the police. He never dreamed that what would happen next would lead towards a mission of impossible for him. **

**He just wanted to go back to sleep. Crashing back into bed, he slipped back into sweet blackness, escaping all his pain. **

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**End ch1**


	2. Meet Connor

Chapter 2

Detective David White groaned as he pulled into the parking lot of the gas station. He could see the blood sprayed on the front doors. The responding officer had said the clerk and a customer had been gunned down by an unknown assailant. There was no money stolen so it clearly wasn't robbery. David parked his car behind the police tape and got out. Although it was three in the morning, it was still hotter then holy hell. David took off his jacket and threw it back in his car. He ran a hand through his wavy black hair and ducked under the police tape. The officer guarding the scene recognized him and let him pass. David was a celebrity in the force. He was a hotshot homicide detective from Chicago who had migrated to Evanston eleven years earlier. David had taken down a lot of notorious criminals, including a psycho who was going down in the history books as the "Chicago Butcher." He hacked up five families in a three month period. David finally tracked him down when he found a fingerprint inside one of the bodies.

David's partner, Tony Ortiz, was waiting for him inside. Tony was an Evanston native, although he was half Mexican, who had been serving on the force for twenty years. He and David made a good team.

"What have we got, Tony?" asked David.

"Seems like a robbery but no money is missing. Might be a drug hit," replied Tony. David nodded in agreement.

"And one of these guys was collateral damage," concluded David. Tony nodded in response. David surveyed the scene. The clerk had been shot in the head where the customer had been shot three times in the chest. Both hadn't had a chance to defend themselves. There was a shotgun hidden under the counter.

"Clerk was probably killed first. Killer probably guessed he had some sort of weapon back there," theorized David. Tony checked the customer's pocket.

"Randolph Mercer. 45. Seems he's leaving behind a wife and two kids," explained David, handing David the wallet. David studied the picture Tony had found. Mercer had two sons. One seemed to be about four where the other one was probably Connor's age or around it.

"Lets run a check on Mr. Mercer. Maybe he has some deep, dark secret that was worth killing for," ordered David. Tony nodded and left to call the station. David was beginning to think Mercer had been the target. Most of the rage had been taken out on him. David sighed. This was going to be a long day.

……………

Connor awoke to the sound of his mother, Holly, getting ready for work. She was a pediatric nurse at the hospital and always had to get there early. Connor got out of bed and went downstairs to the kitchen where his mom was brewing some coffee. She gave him a sleepy smile.

"Sorry, honey. Did I wake you?" asked Holly, her green eyes focusing on Connor. Connor shrugged.

"Doesn't matter," he assured his mother, sitting down at the counter and putting his down.

"Want some breakfast?" asked Holly, pouring herself a cup of coffee. Her long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail and bobbed up and down every time she moved. Holly glanced over at Connor. She was always struck by how much he looked like her and his father. There was no doubt he was their son. Connor had her hair color and her nose. Connor had full, thick lips like hers too. The most striking feature Connor had was his eyes. His grey blue eyes that were identical to his fathers.

"Mom?" inquired Connor, catching her gaze for a second.

"Sorry. Dozed off there," apologized Holly, taking a sip of coffee. Connor smiled weakly as his mother sat down. She put a hand on her son's head.

"Baseball starts soon," reminded Holly. Connor nodded. He was the star pitcher of the Evanston White Sox. He had nearly led his team to a big win last year but they got shut down in the playoffs. Plus Connor had the surgery on his stomach. Holly leaned down and looked into Connor's eyes. She could tell he was deep in thought.  
"What's up, sweetie? Something bothering you?" asked Holly. Connor shrugged.

"Just thinking," answered Connor. Holly sighed. Connor had been the target of a nasty school bully the past school year. He had to see a psychologist because of all the torment he went through. The bully had really killed his self-esteem. A tear fell down Connor's cheek. He was thinking about it again.

"Oh, Connor, baby," comforted Holly, standing up and walking over to rub Connor's back.

"He made fun of everything Mom. The fact that I'm small for my age. The fact that my lips are huge. The fact that I'm an outtie. I can't help it if my lips are big for my age or that my belly button sticks out." He started to cry. Holly pulled him into a hug. She was used to him having these sudden painful memories come to the surface. If she comforted him, he'd get over it quickly. Holly held Connor close and kissed him all over his face. Connor stopped crying. Holly smiled and kissed him on the cheek and mouth.

"Connor, your lips are one of your best qualities. Girls are going to go head over heels for you someday. And I think you have an adorable belly button." Connor rolled his eyes.

"Mom," he moaned as Holly kissed his cheek again. Connor loved his Mom to death but she seriously went overboard when it came to kissing. He smiled though as she planted one more kiss on his cheek.

"I love you. Hang out with Jake today. I'll be at work. Your father got a call this morning so don't expect to see him," warned Holly. Connor nodded. Holly gathered her a purse and said her final goodbye to Connor.

"You're an awesome kid, Connor. Don't let anyone tell you any different," said Holly. Connor smiled. They kissed goodbye and then Holly left. Connor sighed and went back to bed.

………….

Jake woke up and started scratching his neck and stomach. At first thought he had some bug bites. Then he saw his arms were covered in red dots. Jake gasped and held up his shirt. His entire body was covered in red dots, Chicken pox. Oh no. Soon word had spread around the house and Jake was back in bed with a thermometer in his mouth and Kate and any kids who already had chicken pox standing around his bed. Jake grumbled as his head started to ache. The thermometer started to fall out of his mouth.

"Keep that under your tongue, Jake," snapped Kate, putting it back in her son's mouth. Jake groaned a reply and put a hand on his head. After what seemed like an eternity, the thermometer peeped. Kate took it out of Jake's mouth and examined it.

"103.4. You are sick, Jake. Bed rest, oatmeal baths, and fluids for you," ordered Jake. Jake groaned.

"It's not that bad, dude," assured Jake's sister, Sarah.

"Easy for you to say. You didn't get it over summer," moaned Jake. Sarah shrugged as she and the other kids left. Jake shot daggers at their backs as they left. Fine, just leave me here, he thought. Tom Baker poked his head in the door.

"Jake's sick?" he inquired.

"Chicken pox," answered Kate. She turned to Jake, smiling gently.

"Try to get some sleep. It will make you feel better," assured Kate. She put a hand on Jake's head before turning off the light and leaving.

"AND NO SCRATCHING!" ordered Kate from down the hall. Jake rolled his eyes and lay down on his side. That's when he realized that he hadn't seen or heard anything coming from Seth Murdock's house this morning. The window had been open this while time and not a sign of life over at the house. Jake sat up and stared at the house. It was quiet. Too quiet. Jake would have further pondered the mystery but the fever was too powerful. He drifted into a troubled sleep.


	3. Behind The Viel

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews! Just a few things: **

**Connor and David will be playing a part in this mystery.**

**My chapters are in _bold, _and DMBfan's chapters will be in **regular font.

**Peachy? Good. Review, please :)**

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**Connor walked into Jake's room. "Hey," he replied.**

"**Hey," Jake said quietly. "I'm tired, and sick."**

"**Chicken pox, that's what your mom said," Connor said. "That sucks. I had them before."**

**Jake chuckled. "She won't let the other kids near me – she swears I'm contagious." **

**Connor smiled. He looked at his watch. "What's your plan for today?"**

"**Lay in bed," Jake replied. "Oh, man, Connor. Oh, man."**

"**What?"**

"**I thought I saw something last night in Seth's office," Jake said, unsure if he should tell Connor. Finally deciding to go with it, he said, "I thought I saw him… him… k-kill someone."**

"**Wow!" Connor said, his eyes lighting up like a kid when he tasted his first ice-cream cone. "Kill someone?"**

"**This isn't a joke, Connor. I think I really did see him kill someone."**

"**Oh, wow, you mean like somebody died?" Connor said, not sure what to think.**

"**Yeah." **

"**Hey, my dad's a cop," Connor said, "Do you want to tell him?"**

"**Heck no, the whole case would be circumstantial. I watch TV shows too, I'm not stupid."**

**Connor paused. "So what do we do?"**

"**I don't know," Jake replied, truthfully. He was so tired, he felt like pulling his hair out in frustration.**

"**I know what we can do!" Connor said with a smile. "It's so dumb, I wonder why I didn't think of it sooner!"**

"**What?" Jake said, excitedly.**

"**Why don't we investigate?" Connor said.**

"**Dude, I'm sick with the chickenpox, incase you haven't forgotten. There's no way I'm going to be let alone outside."**

"**So why can't I?"**

"**No way," Jake said, "no way. Your mom would kill me."**

"**She doesn't have to know."**

"**She'd find out in court," Jake challenged. "Besides, what if Seth saw you? He would kill you!" **

**Connor shook his head. "I'll come up with something. We could play this by ear, you know? I'm sure you have the walkie talkies that I gave you for Christmas."**

"**Yeah," Jake replied.**

"**Your mom'll let you keep the window open?" Connor asked.**

"**Yeah, probably," Jake said, changing into some jeans and a comfortable Yankees T-Shirt. "Okay, so what's the plan?"**

"**What are we looking of evidence for? A murder, right?" Connor said, grabbing a few pages from a notebook he carried around with him.**

"**Yeah, why?" Jake asked.**

"**Okay, then. Here's the plan. I want you to spy on me well I search his garbage."**

"**His _garbage_?" Jake asked, crinkling his nose. **

"**Yeah, dude. All bad guys hide stuff in their garbage, thinking that they're going to get away with it. That's what my dad says half the time when he cracks a case."**

"**47.7 of statistics are made up," Jake grumbled, looking out the window. "Pass the Tylenol, will you? I have one heck of a headache."**

"**Yeah. You're going to need to be clear to watch me," Connor said. "I'm also going to look for any signs of a murder. Or whatever it is that took place," he said, not putting any stress on any words. He didn't want to get himself into trouble. But he also… no, he _wouldn't have,_ Connor thought. **

"**Connor, be careful. If you get hurt, your mom'll have my head."**

"**I know, Jake. I'll be careful," Connor replied. "Watch from the window, will you?" **

"**Yeah. I hope Seth doesn't think that we suspect him. Hey, Connor, get something and throw it out there, so in case he _does_ catch you, you can say you accidentally tossed it into his yard and was looking for it, okay?"**

"**Sure," Connor said, eagerly tossing an unused book out the window before climbing down on Jake's rope ladder he'd made to practice climbing.**

"**Great," Jake muttered to himself when he saw Connor. He was patrolling around the trashcan, looking for anything that looked out of place. His dad was a police officer; Jake reasoned. He knew a lot better then Jake did what to search for, and what not.**

**For someone being ten, he was an awesome kid. He was honest, even to the point of being brutally honest. It had gotten him in trouble more then once, but Jake still managed to get into trouble more then he did. **

**That being said, it didn't excuse either of their actions. The week school went out, Jake had almost been in trouble on the last day.**

"**Red one to red two, all signs clear?" Connor came through loud and clear in the walkie-talkie.**

"**Red two to red one: Nothing suspicious to report. No cars in either driveway."**

"**Okay, red two. Will search the trashcans," Connor replied. "I think that's probably our best bet, like I said. I'm being careful. So far, no sign of any Setheroosie," he said, daring to joke. He wanted to turn this whole thing into a joke. **

**After all, there was no way Seth could've killed anyone.**

**Right?**

"**Be careful out there, red one." Jake shook his head. He knew the code instantly, because red was Connor's favorite color.**

**Connor took his time rummaging through the trash. "Red one to red two," he said, radioing in to Jake, feeling something sharp in the trash. He reached to pick it up and examined it, unsure what he was seeing, but intrigued anyway. He turned his focus back to the walkie-talkie. **

"**What is it, red one?" Jake asked. He ran his hand through his hair and wish he'd kept quiet about what he saw. He was tired and he wanted a nap, even after taking the painkiller. It had done nothing for him but stop some of his cageyness, which he was sure would come back later.**

"**I found something. I'm not sure what it was – is." Connor's breath caught and he yelped slightly.**

**Jake cursed mentally before climbing to the window and getting a better look at it. "Red two, it's a… looks like a knife. Long and sharp. How could you have not noticed that?"**

"**A knife? What does that mean?" Jake pondered, out loud. Could it mean he really had seen the murder? But bad guys weren't stupid enough to dispose of their weapons in the trash, were they? You know, like if they were on tv or something, they would always hide it in the most opportune place, not someplace where detectives or other people would find it. **

"**Nothing good. Hide it, red two. Suspect is coming in the driveway, I repeat, _suspect is coming in the driveway._"**

**Connor's walkie-talkie went silent. Shoving the knife back into the trash, he quickly sneaked back to his side of the house and pretended to be searching Seth's yard for something.**

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"**Going somewhere?" Seth barked to Connor. He didn't notice the slight bit of blood on the boy's hands from the knife cut, and that probably saved his life.**

"**Sorry, sir. I just lost something out of Jake's window – we were playing a game, you know – and it was a book. A very important book. To him." Connor stopped there, realizing he'd probably said too much already. Feeling sick to his stomach, he looked up at the man.**

**He had always been very friendly in the neighborhood. How was Jake so sure he was a killer? And if he was a killer, what did that mean for the rest of them? Did that mean he was in danger right now? Even if he wasn't, he sure was shaking. He pressed his knees closer together, hoping to God that Seth didn't see them shaking.**

"**Would this be it?" Seth asked, almost mockingly gently. His smirk portrayed his actions, a million times louder then his words. It was obvious that he didn't believe the boy.**

"**Yes," Connor said, pretending to be exited. "Oh, thank you! Sweet. I'll be back later," he said, climbing back up Jake's ladder.**

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**That night, as Jake pulled up his ladder, as he had started to do that summer so nobody could climb into his bedroom, he saw that there was a note attached to it.**

_**Stay out of my trash. Know what pain feels like? – Seth **_


	4. Say again?

Chapter 4

Seth watched from his office as Jake Baker read the note. Seth grinned as Jake's eyes widened. Jake looked nervously at Seth's window. Seth stayed hidden in shadows so Jake couldn't see him. He couldn't take the risk of being exposed. Not now. Not when everything was going so well. He didn't want to kill Jake. But he would if he had to. If Jake or his friend got too close again, Seth would have to take care of them. Jake closed his windows and pulled down the blinds. Seth snickered to himself and turned on the lights. He still had a lot of work to do. Mr. Anders would be expecting his money in 24 hours. Seth sighed and got to work.

…….

Connor couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about the knife. What did it mean? Did Seth Murdock murder someone? Or maybe he cut himself? Connor jumped when he heard a noise outside his room. He gulped as he slowly got out of bed. He could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Connor licked his lips nervously and headed towards his bedroom door. He could see a shadow coming under the bottom of the door. Connor gulped and pulled the door open. His little brother, Toby, shrieked. He had been coming back from the bathroom. Connor sighed and leaned his head against the door frame.

"Toby, why are you sneaking around outside my door?" asked Connor, giving his brother an evil look. The eight-year-old giggled.

"Sorry, Connor. I must have gotten lost," apologized Toby. He pouted his lips and gave Connor an innocent look.

"Go to bed. You're going to get us both in trouble," warned Connor. Toby shrugged and hurried off to his room. Connor sighed and walked to the bathroom to splash water on his face. His heart was still pounding. He turned on the sink and splashed water on his face.

"Calm down, Connor. Calm down," mumbled Connor to himself.

"You OK, pal?" asked a voice from behind Connor. Connor shrieked and spun around. David was standing in the doorway, a worried expression on his face.

"Dad. You startled me," groaned Connor.

"Sorry. What's wrong, Connor?" asked David, walking into the bathroom. Connor shook his head.

"Nothing. Just a little jumpy I guess," replied Connor. David cocked an eyebrow.

"Your mom told me you got upset today," explained David. Connor. Just what he needed now. His parents worrying about him.

"I'm fine, Dad. Really I am," assured Connor. David nodded in agreement.

"OK. Off to bed then. It's late," ordered David. Connor nodded and retired to his room. David sighed. He wished he could be there more for the boys, especially Connor. But work needed his full attention these days. David sighed and went to catch a few hours of sleep himself.

……….

Jake slept in till ten. Kate didn't disturb him and made sure none of the other kids did. Rest was one of the best things for Jake. Jake groaned as he woke up. His head was throbbing. He reached for the Tylenol next to his bed and popped one into his mouth. When his head stopped throbbing, he went over to his window and peeked out at Seth's house. His office window was closed and the drapes were pulled shut. Jake sighed and looked down at the garbage. It still hadn't been moved. He figured he had two days until it was collected. The only hope to catch Seth was to get Connor's dad involved. He was the only one who could search the garbage legally and maybe if they were lucky, search Seth's house. Jake picked up his cell phone and dialed Connor's number. Connor picked up after one ring.

"Hey, dude. What's up?" Jake told Connor about the note and how he wanted to involve Connor's dad.

"Oh my God. He sent you a note?" asked Connor, gasping.

"Yeah. He definitely doesn't want us to fid whatever is in there," replied Jake.

"The knife."

"Maybe. We need to tell you dad about this."

"No way, Jake. I'd so be grounded if he found out I was snooping in someone's garbage."

"Connor, this dude killed someone and he'll kill us if he catches us on his property again! Your dad is the only one who can help us." Jake could hear Connor sigh on the other end of the line.

"OK. I'll tell him about what you saw. But I'm not mentioning the knife. I don't want to be grounded this summer. I missed out on spring break because of you." Jake chuckled. Jake and Connor had skipped school one Friday and had been caught a few days later. They both got grounded over spring break.

"OK. Call me back. I'm not going anywhere." Jake hung up and continued to watch Seth's house. No sound or movement came from inside. It gave Jake the creeps.

…………..

Seth was woken up by his phone ringing. He had slept in. Damnit. Seth groaned and picked up the phone.

"Yes," he said.

"Mr. Murdock, I was supposed to be hear from you this morning," growled the caller. Seth sighed. It was Mr. Anders.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Anders. I meant to get in touch with you. I had a long night last night," apologized Seth.

"I'll let it go this time. Has the body been disposed of?" asked Anders.

"Yes, sir. Everything is ready for the next step," assured Seth. Just have some loose ends to tie up, said Seth to himself.

"Excellent. You have done well, Mr. Murdock. I will get back to you soon with your next assignment," explained Anders,

"I'll be waiting to hear from you," replied Seth. Murdock hung up. Seth sighed and put the phone back in the cradle. He had to get rid of those boys. He couldn't let them jeopardize the mission.

…………..

Connor arrived at the Baker house to find Sarah Baker being scolded by her parents. Apparently she had snuck out of the house late last night to meet up with friends.

"That's it, Sarah. You're grounded for a week. Go to your room," snapped Tom Baker. Sarah scoffed and stormed off to her room, followed by Tom who was still snapping at her. Connor winced as she slammed the door. Kate turned to look at Connor.

"Hi, Connor. Jake's awake. He's upstairs waiting for you. Try to avoid Sarah and Tom's wrath," warned Kate. Connor chuckled and headed upstairs. Jake's door was ajar so Connor knocked and opened it up some more. Jake was on his bed, watching the TV that had been moved in to his room.

"Hey. Come in," greeted Jake.

"Couldn't talk to my Dad. He had already left for the day. He has a big case he's working at. Two guys were shot to death at a gas station," explained Connor.

"Bummer," replied Jake, shutting off the TV.

"Yeah. Have you seen him this morning?" asked Connor, nodding his head towards Seth's house.

"Look at the garage," said Jake. Connor went over to the window and looked at Seth's garage. The door was slightly open.

"Oh ma. He left his garage partly open," exclaimed Connor, his eyes widening in excitement.

"He left about ten minutes ago. You should go down there and check it out. Maybe the body is in there," suggested Jake. Connor bit his lip. That was not only illegal but if Seth was a murderer, it was very dangerous. But Connor didn't want him getting away with murder.

"OK. Get the walkie talkies," ordered Connor. Jake pulled them out of the drawer and threw one to Connor.

"Be careful," warned Jake. Connor nodded and headed down the rope ladder. Jake kept a watchful eye out.

"Red one to red two. Heading towards garage," said Connor through the walkie-talkie.

"Roger. I'll keep an eye out," assured Jake. Connor slowly crept through Seth's yard and headed towards the garage. The inside was dark. It took a few seconds for Connor's eyes to adjust to the dark. His eyes fell to the floor. He gasped. Some blood was smeared on the concrete. There was some on the wall too. Connor took out his cell phone and snapped a picture of it. He was convinced now. Seth had killed someone.

"Red one to red two. Jake, there's some blood in here. A lot of it," gulped Connor. "I took a picture of it."

"That's good. Evidence. Head back to base now," urged Jake. Connor quickly left the garage and headed back to the rope ladder. Neither he nor Jake noticed the pair of eyes peeking out at them from an upstairs window.


	5. ch5

Jake sighed as he restlessly paced the room. "Oh, man, Connor, where are you? It's been what, twenty minutes at least since you were supposed to arrive!" Normally, the time wouldn't have mattered because Connor was usually late, but with the murder that had possibly taken place next door, Jake was leery.

"Come on, man." He had stopped feeling quite so sick from the chicken pox, and now he was just miserably restless and tired all the time. "Where the heck are you?" he muttered, staring at the window, looking for some signs of life at Seth's house. There were none.

"Man, I know what I can be doing." Jake booted the computer up in his room. They were going to be looking into a little of Seth's background today, and trying to lay low, because Connor swore he'd felt something looking at him yesterday.

Jake couldn't shake the feeling Connor was in some sort of trouble.

-----------------------

"Dad," Connor said, his hand shaking, "I need you to talk to me for just a minute."

"I'm tired, Connor," David snapped. He was untying his tie. "I just came home for an hour or so to catch a nap, not to be disturbed by racket."

"Dad, I really need to talk to you. It's not about life - well, not about my life. Okay, so maybe it is."

"You're not making any since at all," David grumbled. "Okay, Connor. Tell me." He sat on his bed and rubbed his eyes.

"I think Jake saw a murder over at Seth's house."

"Bullshit, Connor. Remember, last year Jake accused Seth's brother-in-law of smacking him in the face and the Bakers nearly charged him with assault."

"Dad, he came charging after him with a pipe."

David bristled. "What is it that you want, Connor? Your mother gave you some spending money and I thought that you were just going to play with Jake today anyway."

"I think Jake really did see a murder. I have a picture from Seth's grange --" he reached in his pocket to show David, but the man held up his hand. "Wait a second. You were in his garage?"

"It was wide open," he replied.

"I taught you not to invade other people's property," David said, his face turning red. "If Seth saw you, he could have you arrested! How do you think that would make me look?"

"But--," Connor started to say.

"I'm about to ground you for the rest of the week. As it is, don't talk to me until I get some rest. And, your curfew is seven-thirty."

"Seven-thirty! Dad, that's Toby's bedtime!"

"I don't give a damn if it's Jake's bedtime. Seven thirty," he said, shutting off the light.

-----------------------

Connor grumbled all the way across the street. "Seven thirty. There's no possibility. You're just a worthless brat, Connor. Listen to all those kids in school." His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Jake outside in his hoodie and jeans. "Dude!" he rushed over. "Get back inside, man! Your mom'll kill me."

"I don't care, man." Jake allowed himself to be escorted to the steps with Connor's help. "You worried me."

"I was trying to tell my dad."

"I'll bet he was help," Jake said, "From the look on your face."

"Oh, yeah. Loads of help! He said Seth could have us arrested for going in his garage. I'm scared, Jake."

"We aren't going to get arrested. For one thing, he won't say anything --" Jake's words were broken off when Seth walked towards them.

"So you were the people prowling around my garage yesterday," Seth said. His eyes were angry, and Connor shrank back in fear.

"Easy, dude. We just wanted to see how it looked."

Seth walked away, but that left Connor with an uneasy feeling. "He saw me, didn't he?" he asked as he helped Jake inside.

"I don't know, dude. All we can do is hope that he didn't."

"What if he did murder somebody?"

"If he didn't, whose blood was spattered all over the wall?" Jake said.

The two climbed the stairs and walked the hall before Jake fell into his bed, exhausted.

"I don't know. Maybe he cut himself shaving?" Connor suggested, not wanting to believe that a murder had taken place.

"In the garage?" Jake asked, rolling his eyes. "Here, gimme that pic. Yeah, it definitely looks fishy. There's not a _lot_ of blood, but there's definitely SOME. What did he do, move the body down to the garage?"

"Body?" Connor asked.

"Yeah, Connor," Jake said, "When you murder someone, you leave a body."

Connor looked at the ground. "Sorry, didn't sink in."

"Don't worry about it," Jake said calmly. He sighed and looked out the windows. "Ever wish you could get inside a person's head?"

"Yeah."

"What'd your dad really say?"

"He said it was probably bullcrap because you tried to charge him with assault last year. I was like, DAD, he charged after him with a pipe. He's too blind… Lost in his own thoughts."

"Hey, listen, go easy on him," Jake started to say, but Connor was already lost in his own world.

"Hey," Connor said, "Why didn't I think of it?"

"What?"

"Showing the picture to my dad."

"I thought you did."

"Yeah, but what if we snooped around and took more pictures?"

"With Seth _there_? Hell no, that's just stupid."

"Tomorrow. Tonight. Whenever."

"What are you going to do? Use them for blackmail?" Jake spat.

Connor glared at him. "No, use them to get dad to help us."

"Look, we've already been over this. I don't think he's going to."

"Well, we can try."

Jake sighed. "I feel like crap," he said.

"Yeah, it must really suck to get the chicken pox."

"You have no idea."

"Hey, something's going on out there!" Connor said. The two inched open Jake's blinds, and they attentively looked out the window.

"What?"

"You see? He's talking."

"Yeah, he's talking. It's not like either of us knows how to read lips."

"Come on." Connor slipped out.

"Connor, you idiot." Jake new from watching crime shows that Connor wasn't being that bright, but he followed him down the stairs. "Connor."

Connor turned and stared at Jake's fever-filled face. "Go to bed," he said. "Look, I'm going to go home. Your mom should be home soon. Sleep tight."

---------------------------------------------------------

_Midnight: Twelve o'clock_

Jake's eyes scanned Seth's room. He was watching out the windows with his binoculars. It was black. Suddenly, the light turned on, and Jake watched intently.

"Man oh man," he thought. Seth was rummaging around his room, looking up at the window every so often. Jake was peering intently, still.

Jake saw Seth grab a knife in his hand and stab something. But what? He heard no scream, he saw no object. A chair or something?

Was Seth insane?

Not thinking, he grabbed his binoculars and headed outside. He wanted a first class-view, not noticing that as he left his room, turning out his light, the light in the neighboring house went black.

He stared at the window intently through his binoculars, never noticing the sounds creak up at him…


	6. SHOCKER PART1

Chapter 6

Jake strained to see into the darkened house. It was no use. It was pitch black. Jake gingerly stepped off the back porch. He knew he was taking a big risk, but he wasn't about to let Seth get away with murder. Especially if he had killed someone else. Jake slowly walked towards Seth's house, hoping Seth or his parents didn't discover him out here. Jake was about to take another step when an arm wrapped around his neck. Jake was getting ready to shout out but a damp cloth was placed over his mouth and nose. Jake struggled against his attacker but was easily overpowered. The last thing he was aware of was being taken down to the ground.

……….

David sat in at his desk, looking over the case file for the ninth time that hour. There were no new leads in the gas station shooting. It wouldn't be long before it was put in the cold case storage unit and David was reassigned to another homicide. David jumped as his phone rang. He groaned as he picked it up. This was going to be a long night.

"Detective White," he said answering.

"It's me," answered the caller.

"Holly? What is it? It's one-thirty in the morning. Are the boys alright?"

"They're fine. The hospital just called. I have to come in at nine so that means you have to go get Tyler at the airport." David sighed. He didn't have time for that. His oldest son Tyler was coming home from summer camp and his flight was due at nine-thirty.

"Holly, I'm in the middle of a double homicide."

"So you're just going to leave Tyler at the airport?" David sighed.

"Fine. I'll go get him."

"Thanks, David. Take Connor too. He's been spending too much time at Jake's house. Jake needs some time alone so he can rest."

"OK. I'll pick him up at eight-thirty."

"He'll be up. Bye, honey."

"Bye." David hung up. Just what he needed. More delays.

……………

Jake woke up to find himself tied up and gagged. He looked around and realized he was in Seth's garage. His fever hit him with ferocious force. Seth walked towards him from the shadows. Jake whimpered in fear.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you not to be nosy?" asked Seth. Jake whimpered in response. Seth pulled up a stool and sat down.

"You're in over your head, kid. You and that friend of yours. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"I think I have an idea," mumbled Jake, his lips straining against the gag in his mouth. Seth grinned.

"We'll see," growled Seth, leaning down and injecting Jake with a drug. Jake felt his eyelids getting heavy. Seth walked away as Jake's vision got blurry. Jake let out one final whimper before he drifted into blackness.

………….

David swore as an old woman cut him off.

"This woman can't drive for shit," exclaimed David as he passed her for the second time. Connor shifted in the seat next to his father. His dad could get really mad when it came to bad drivers. Especially old people who were bad drivers.

"Just get farther ahead of her, Dad," offered Connor. David glanced at his son. The boy could be exceptionally bright sometimes.

"Why didn't I think of that?" asked David, as he got three car lengths ahead of the woman. David sighed as an uncomfortable silence fell over the car. It had been like that for the whole trip.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you the other night. I've just been stressed lately," apologized David.

"It's OK, Dad. I know how your job can suck sometimes," replied Connor. David laughed and ruffled Connor's hair.

"Smartass," muttered David. Connor smiled. His dad was back to normal. Guess he really did need this trip after all.

…………..

Tyler White was coming out of the airplane when David and Connor arrived at the gate. They saw other kids from Tyler's camp running to greet their parents. It took Tyler a few moments to see David and Connor and he quickly ran over to greet his brother and father. Tyler was the favorite of the family, a fact that was blatantly obvious to Connor. Tyler did well in school and was on the start on his soccer and football team. Connor did have his little league fame, but it was overshadowed by Tyler's popularity.

Connor was quiet the whole way home as Tyler went through the details of his three weeks at Camp Greenwood in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. His soccer talent had made him a camp celebrity. He had a small relationship with a girl from a cabin next to his and he was given an award for friendship during the last evening gathering. Typical Tyler. Always popular and well loved. Connor was happy for his brother, but he wished that some of that popularity would rub off on him. One thing that made Tyler so popular was his looks. He had girls falling head over heals at school. They fell in love with his piercing blue eyes or his somewhat full lips. Connor was usually referred to as "Tyler's little brother." Luckily some people found that cool. And Connor did have Jake and their group of friends to fall back on. It's not like Tyler was a jerk. Tyler looked after his younger brothers. It just sometimes hurt Connor to see his brother being popular and not him.

…………….

Connor snapped out of his thoughts as they passed Jake's house. There were cop cars everywhere. David parked and told the boys to wait in the car.

"But, Dad. What if Jake's in trouble?" asked Connor.

"Stay in the car, Connor!" ordered David as he got out. He headed towards the house, showing the cop guarding the perimeter of the house his badge. Connor bit his lip nervously. He kept glancing at Seth's house and then back at the Bakers. Seth's house was dark. Foreboding.

"We got too close," muttered Connor quietly. Tyler heard his younger brother mutter something to himself and turned around in his seat.

"What was that?" asked Tyler.

"Nothing. Just talking to myself," replied Connor, diverting his eyes away from Tyler.

"I don't believe you. Come on. Connor, talk to me," urged Tyler. Connor sighed. He could trust Tyler. Tyler was good at keeping secrets.  
"Ok. But promise me you won't say anything to Dad. He's real close to grounding me," begged Connor. Tyler chuckled a little but nodded in agreement. Connor gave him a dirty look.

"I promise I won't say anything," assured Tyler. Connor nodded and explained the situation regarding Seth to Tyler. He showed Tyler the photo of the blood and told him about the knife in the garbage. Tyler couldn't argue with photographic evidence. He let out a nervous sigh and stared at Seth's house.

"Dad won't believe me if I show him the picture. We need more evidence. Evidence he knows can't be made up," explained Connor.

"Connor, if something happened to Jake, that means Seth is on to you. This is really dangerous," warned Tyler, his voice a nervous whisper. Connor leaned in close to his brother. They were nose to nose.

"He killed someone. We can't let him get away with it," whispered Connor.

"What if he killed Jake? Then what, huh?" asked Tyler. Connor narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"Don't say that," hissed Connor. He sat back as David approached the car. Connor could see Mrs. Baker crying on the front porch. Jake's older brother Charlie slowly led her back into the house. David got in the car and sat in silence for a few moments. Tyler finally spoke up.

"Dad? What's going on?" asked Tyler. David sighed.

"Jake wasn't in his bed this morning when his mom went to check on him. There's no sign of him in the house," replied David. Connor faded out after that. Seth had gotten to his friend. They had gotten too close. What if Tyler was right? What if Jake was dead?

…………..

Seth opened the truck of his car and pulled Jake out. He'd be driving for two hours to make it to his safe house in time. He had given Jake enough drugs to knock him out for twelve hours. Jake still had a lot of sleeping to do. Seth dragged Jake to the run down shed on the property and secured him inside. Maybe he'd get lucky and Jake would die from his fever or something. Seth went into the house and called an associate of his on a secure line.

"Yes," said the associate answering.

"Morton, it's me," explained Seth.

"What is it, Seth?"

"I need you to watch the safe house. I have a kid tied up in the shed."

"For how long?"

"Don't know yet. Not too long."

"I'll be there in a half an hour."

"The keys in the usual place. Morton, when you hear from me next…" Seth paused. He couldn't believe it had come to this.

"Seth? What do I do?"

"Kill the boy and dispose of the body."


	7. Shocker2

Morton grumbled. "Kill him, yeah, right," he said as he hung up the telephone. He didn't care who Seth thought he was. Seth was making a big mistake here.

"Wakey, wakey," he taunted Jake, running his fingers across Jake's skin. The boy looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. He frowned. The kid's fever was hot, way too damn hot. "Great," he muttered, getting a wet rag on Jake's forehead.

"Seth, you're crazy," he muttered. He called Seth back. "Hey, Seth? We have a problem."

"What?" Seth snapped. He didn't want to say anything because he knew talking to long could be used against him.

"It's my kid."

He exploded. That was pretty much the reaction that Morton was hoping of getting. "What the heck? It's your kid?"

"You know that picture I showed you once? Remember how I said not to touch the kid, because he was _mine_? Why is he tied up in the safe house shed?"

"No firkin way. Why the hell did you have to let your sex life destroy the operation? And why didn't you say something sooner? I would have grabbed the other kid." _Yeah, right, _Seth thought to himself.

Morton sighed. "We can't kill him, dude… We just can't."

"What can we do? We can't keep him forever. That'd screw up our plans."

"Or not. Listen, he's good friends with David's kid."

"Oh, lordlier," Seth cursed.

"What?"

"This just got a whole lot more complicated… But I think we still will have to kill him."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom glared at Kate as she sat there in the kitchen. The other Bakers, besides Charlie, were at Nora's house. "I can't believe you, Kate! This is your entire fault. That man probably took him. If you wouldn't have fucked this up," he said, pausing to take a breath, "we wouldn't be here right now. This is all your fault. You just had to screw up, and have Jake! Now _we're_ probably being investigated, for child abuse and god knows what else!"

Charlie winced when he heard his father's words. He knew he probably didn't mean it, but… wait a second… "Dad, what the heck is going on here?"

Tom turned to Charlie. "We agreed not to tell anyone his, Kate, but I think we'll have too."

Kate choked back tears. "I never thought… He seemed so gentle…" She started crying all over again when the cop approached her.

"Is something the matter?" He asked gently, staring at both Tom and Kate. Kate was so glad Nora had taken the other children.

"My son is missing, what do you _think_ is the matter, officer?" She burst into tears.

Tom sighed and hugged Kate. "We think we may have a lead on who took him, officer. Who's the man in charge on this case?"

"Officer David." David stuck his head in the door. He had requested to handle Jake's case specifically. Normally he worked homicides, but he threw in missing person cases whenever he could.

"What seems to be the matter?" David asked.

"We think we know who took Jake."

"Why don't you come down to the station," David suggested.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tyler watched his younger brother secretly. He was staring at Seth's house through binoculars. "Damn-it, we did get to close," he muttered softly, "I'll bet that asshole took Jake."

"Who?" Tyler said, stepping forward. "What's going on?"

Connor dropped the binoculars. "Tyler! Oh my god."

"What didn't you tell me?" Tyler demanded. He knew that Connor most likely hadn't told him the whole truth.

"N-nothing."

"Bullshit!" Tyler said. "Sit. And you're not leaving that bed until you tell me _everything_."

"I can't tell you! What if he hurts you, too?" Connor demanded, crossing his arms.

Tyler sighed. "And what if he takes you, huh? What am I supposed to tell Dad?"

"Okay, okay!" Connor said. He sighed as he looked out the window. "Jake got the chicken pox, okay? He was looking out at Seth's house, because he was bored. You know, innocent fun. He said he saw a murder – or at least he thought he had a murder. Anyway, he told me he couldn't really check it out because he got the chicken pox, so I helped him investigate."

"Why didn't you tell Dad?"

"Like he would have believed me. Anyway, then we started digging on Seth. I went through his garbage, and found a knife. And then," Connor said, taking a breath, "it w-went downhill from there."

"What _happened next_, Connor?"

Connor sighed as he glanced at the ground and mumbled something. "Iwentintohisgaragetoseeifhehidthebody."

"You WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?"

"I went into his garage to see if he hid the body there."

"That's against the law, dude! He could've had you arrested!"

"And implicate himself? I snapped a photo. Dude, there was a hell of a lot of blood in there. And the garage was partly open."

"And I suppose that Jake suggested that," Tyler said dryly.

"Like Jake's gonna murder somebody!"

"That's not what I said! Dude, you have to tell dad."

"No!" Connor said. "I can't, Tyler! He won't believe me, and he'll ground me, and…. well, yeah, he'll tell Seth, and then I'll be _killed or something_!"

"But what if he's hurting Jake?"

"I can't!"

"What if he's torturing Jake? Killing Jake? Huh?"

Suddenly the telephone rang, causing them both to jump.

Tyler answered it. "Say anything, the boy dies." Then the telephone was disconnected.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

David looked at Tom intently. The man was frustrated. "Okay, Kate. It's time."

Kate dried her tears and looked strait at David. "About eleven years ago, I had an affair with a Morton Jennings."

David resisted the urge to let out a long whistle. That man had a criminal record up to his arms – theft, petty theft, and grand theft auto…

"We… did… it…. a… few… times…" Kate said, "and then I realized that I was pregnant. With Jake. I though it was Tom's. We were both very happy. But then afterwards, I secretly got the baby DNA tested, and I cried." She stopped for a moment to compose herself. "And… it was his baby. I called him to tell him, and he said that if I sued for full custody, he'd come after the baby. And I got full custody. And… he made an attempt once or twice, when Jake was seven and eight…" She stopped again. "But he never was able to successfully kidnap him."

"Alright, well, we'll get Jennings over here, and we'll be sure to question him. Thank you. You may have saved your son's life."

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Morton swore as his cell phone rang. "Aww… dimwit," he muttered. He sighed and looked at Jake, wondering if he'd be safe here for a while. He heard from inside sources at the police station that they were trying to implicate him for Jake's kidnapping. Knowing the consequences could be devastating of what happened, he sighed and looked at his son. The boy was so peaceful… So unaware of any care he might have.

Injecting another drug into the boy's system, he decided to ditch Seth for a while. He moved the boy to the trunk and started to drive towards another safe house. He needed to be very careful. He had an alibi for last night, thank God.

"Seth, you really screwed it up this time," he muttered.


	8. Didn't you know?

Chapter 8

Seth gripped the steering wheel tightly as he headed towards the safe house. Morton had left him no choice. He couldn't risk failure. Morton had to go. He would put them all at risk. Seth cursed as his cell phone rang. He sighed as he checked the caller ID. It was Mr. Anders.

"Yes," said Seth answering.

"What is going on, Mr. Murdock? There are cops all over your neighbors house," growled Anders. Seth groaned. This was just what he needed.

"A boy was starting to nose around on my property. I had to do something," explained Seth.

"Do you mean to tell me you killed your neighbors son?"

"No. I'm not saying that at all. He's being kept under close watch at a safe house of mine."

"I expect you to take care of this, Mr. Murdock. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mr. Anders. It will be handled." Anders hung up. Seth cursed and threw the phone down. He was pissed for a few minutes before he decided on his next plan of action. Then an evil grin spread across his face. Seth turned around and headed back towards town.

…………

Jake woke up to find himself in a small dark place. He realized he was no longer tied up. Jake's head was throbbing. His fever was once again hitting with a vengeance. Jake shrieked as a door above him opened. It was then he realized that he was in the trunk of a car. A face appeared above him. Afraid that it was Seth, Jake tried to yell out. His voice was too raw to get above a whisper.

"It's OK, Jake. I'm not going to hurt you," assured the man. It was then that Jake realized it wasn't Seth.

"Who are you?" asked Jake, coughing a little.

"My name is Morton. I'm going to take you back to your family," replied Morton. Jake raised an eyebrow.

"Why? What do you care about me?" asked Jake.

"That's not important right now," answered Morton. "I just need you to keep quiet and let me handle everything." Jake wasn't sure if he could trust this man. It could have just been another one of Seth's tricks. But Jake couldn't see another options. He nodded his head reluctantly.

"OK. I'll keep quiet," assured Jake. Morton nodded and closed the trunk. Jake closed his eyes to get some sleep. He didn't have to wait long before his fever made him descend into a deep sleep.

Kate sat on Jake's bed, gripping an old teddy bear of his. Not only was her son being held by some faceless monster, but he was also fighting chicken pox and a high fever. Kate looked up as Nora walked into the room. She had been arguing with Tom about his attitude regarding his attitude towards Jake's kidnapping. He wasn't sure if he wanted Jake back. He didn't want to raise some other man's child. Everyone knew that Kate wouldn't put up with that attitude for long and that a divorce could be fast approaching if Tom didn't start behaving. Nora sat down next to Kate and sighed.

"Mom, you shouldn't be sitting in here. It's not good for you," explained Nora. Kate fought back some tears.

"How did this happen, Nora? How could I let this happen? I failed as a mother," sighed Kate.

"Don't blame yourself, Mom. There's nothing you could of done to stop this," assured Nora. Kate shook her head.

"How can I not blame myself? It's my duty to protect all my children. Jake is sick for God's sake. I should have been watching him like a hawk," said Kate, scolding herself.

"The police think he was taken in the middle of the night. You can't watch him 24/7," explained Nora. Kate shrugged and held the bear closer to her. She could faintly detect Jake's scent on it. Nora and Kate sat in silence and waited for word on Jake.

……………

Connor couldn't sit still. He was too worried about Jake. He had spent the past thirty minutes pacing around his room. His dad didn't want him to go over to Jake's house. Connor had to go see if Seth was home. Jake could be tied up in his house somewhere. Connor had been trying repeatedly to convince himself that maybe it wasn't Set but he couldn't. There was no doubt in his mind that Seth had kidnapped Jake. And that meant he was hiding something. That meant he had killed someone. That meant he would kill Jake if he had to. Connor decided to disobey his father and head over to the Bakers. He was about to head downstairs when Tyler pulled him into his room.

"What's the big idea?" asked Connor, shaking off his brother's grip.

"I know where you're going, Connor. Dad said no," snapped Tyler, wagging a finger in Connor's face.

"I have to help my friend," replied Connor, swatting Tyler's finger away. Tyler narrowed his eyes. If they kept this up, they'd get in a fight and possibly get grounded. Connor couldn't afford that right now.

"Please, Tyler. I'm worried about Jake. I can't let Seth kill him. Please let me go," pleaded Connor, sticking his bottom lip out. It was move that usually got him whatever he wanted. Tyler wasn't affected. Connor had learned it from him.

"No, Connor. You're my little brother and I don't want you getting hurt," replied Tyler, crossing his arms. Connor groaned in frustration.

"What's going on?" asked a voice from the hallway. Connor and Tyler whipped around. Toby was standing in the hallway in his soccer uniform.

"Shouldn't you be going to practice?" asked Tyler.

"In a few minutes. I heard you guys arguing and came to see if everything's alright," replied Toby.

"We're fine, Toby. Now scram," snapped Connor. Toby could drive Connor up the wall sometimes. Toby gave Connor a dirty look and stomped off. There was danger of Toby telling their mom that they were fighting but Toby knew better then to tell on his brother's. They'd get him back somehow.

"Don't you have soccer practice as well?" asked Connor, glaring at Tyler.

"Not until tonight," replied Tyler.

"I'm going," announced Connor and headed towards the door. Tyler grabbed him and threw him on his bed. Connor jumped into action and kicked Tyler in the stomach. Tyler grunted and fell to the ground. Connor used the advantage and bolted. Tyler tried to stand up but his stomach hurt too much. Connor was in big trouble if Tyler didn't stop him. Wincing he forced himself to stand up and chased after his brother. Connor was out of the house by the time Tyler made it outside. His mom was pulling out of the driveway. She waved at him and headed towards the soccer field that was just a few blocks away. Tyler sighed and started walking towards Jake's house. Suddenly someone burst out of the bushes. Before Tyler could say something, the figure shoved a knife in his stomach. Tyler then realized it was Seth. Tyler gagged as blood came out of his mouth.

"Tell your brother I said hi," growled Seth. He withdrew the knife and walked away. Tyler clutched his stomach and fell to the ground. He laid on his back for a few moments, crying. Then blackness took over.


	9. All That You Got

Tyler coughed up blood as the figure darted away. A few minutes later, his mom was calling for him. "Tyler? Tyler, your brother Toby said… Oh my god, Tyler!" her hands flew to her mouth, and she yelled, "CONNER!!!! CALL 9-1-1!"

Connor ran out too the driveway. He quickly dialed 911, after seeing his brother's injuries. His face paled, shaking.

Connor knew why this happened. He _knew_. On the way there, Tyler kept repeating over and over, "Seth. Seth. Seth."

Connor's mother went with Tyler to the hospital. She told Connor to call David, but Connor sat there, ashen-faced.

He had to stop this madness.

He had to talk to his father.

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Morton cleared his throat as he escorted Jake and dragged him to one of Seth's safe houses. They'd be safe there. He just had to lay low until he could cough up his alibi, then he could talk to Kate…

What was he thinking? He couldn't take the kid home!

He didn't know what to do. He thought about it, pacing. After about an hour and a half, he finally sighed and picked up the phone. "Hello? I was told there was an APB out for me? About two hours time…. Of course."

_Damn. _That wouldn't help things at all!

He glanced at Jake; still sleeping from the drugs Morton had given him. Morton sighed and dragged him to the closet, where he would hopefully be secure. Sticking a chair under the doorknob, he hurried to his car and drove off.

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_Twenty-four hours missing_

"Tyler's out of surgery. He'll be fine." Connor's mother sighed in relief. "There's something you need to know."

"What?"

"We had a slight complication with the wound, and it looks like he may not be able to regain full use of his right hand right away."

Connor's mother swallowed and looked at the ground. David put his arm around her. "Can we see him?"

"In a few minutes. He's incredibly lucky, you know – he managed to dodge the vital organs. Also, getting help right away really helped him."

David turned to Connor. "Connor, I think you and I need to have a talk."

Connor swallowed hard, and his face paled. "I c-can't, dad!"

"Connor." David's face was tight. Drawn. Pale-faced. "Listen to me. Tyler just got hurt. Jake is missing. And there were two killings in town. What do you know?"

Connor looked down at the ground. He couldn't tell anyone, not until he knew Jake was all right. His dad was right. It was _his _fault.

"Tell T-Tyler I'm s-sorry," Connor said, running out of the hospital waiting room with tears slowly starting to slide down his cheeks.

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Jake awoke in the closet shivering. He was freezing cold and he couldn't help it. He felt like he was about to puke, and his hands were tied behind his back. A gag was in his mouth and a piece of duct-tape was over that. He moaned softly.

He hadn't had any water since he'd been captured, and he knew that that was the key to recovery from his fever. He tried to get out of the ropes, but he couldn't. He fought back the urge to vomit as his stomach churned.

He _knew_ Seth had him. Was that just a dream that he had seen? Or was it a nightmare? Was all of this a nightmare?

He wanted it just to go away. He slipped into black darkness again.

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Morton grumbled as he was led into the interrogation room. "Is something the matter, officer?" he asked smoothly.

"Where were you thirty-six hours ago?"

"At a bar. I was there the whole night, playing poker with some buddies." Morton stared strait at the man. "Why do you ask?"

The officer sighed. "Your son, Jake Baker, is missing."

"I'm sorry, _officer_," Morton said in a mocking tone. "I didn't know it was a crime to have sex. Anyway, I most certainly don't know a Jake Baker."

"Surely you've seen the news."

"Yes, I've seen the news!"

"Good, then you'll know he's missing. We have record that he's your child."

"Listen. I know Kate Baker. Wonderful woman. We had sex a few times, okay? We didn't mean nothing by it. We didn't have no kids."

The man sighed and looked at the next man. "We're going to check out your alibi. We'll need the telephone numbers."

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_One day, two hours missing_

Jake awoke again a few hours later. His stomach churned violently, and his eyes flew open as he heard the doorknob churning. "Aha," Seth said, looking at Jake, "I found you. Morton led me on some nasty chases, that rebel. I will have to remember to thank him when I kill him. That will come later. Today, I have to take care of you. I can't kill you yet, I think your friend Connor may try to talk. So long as they think that Morton kidnapped you, we'll be fine." He smirked as he poured a glass of tap water from the sink and removed Jake's gag.

"Here. Drink. I need you alive. But don't expect to keep living. I mean, there's a few things I could have you do, but – we'll just see how it works out." Seth ran his hand down Jake's cheek, and Jake shivered at the touch.

"We'll need to get you out of those clothes, too. I can't kill you yet. Anyway, it's lucky that I knew we had to, well, anyway. Here," he said, tossing the clothes at Jake. Jake frowned when he saw it was a sweater, jeans and a t-shirt. "Change."

Jake frowned and tried to shut the door, but Seth shook his head. "I'll turn around, but I don't trust you, kiddo."

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_One day, six hours missing_

Kate sobbed as the officer told her that _no_, the man didn't have anything to do with it. "That sick son of a bitch! I know he does," Kate cried.

"Listen, we can't do anything, okay? He's got a solid alibi for the last thirty hours. Go home and get some sleep. Detective David will take over the case tomorrow. His son was injured today."

"Ohmyigod," Kate said, as her hands flew to her mouth. "Listen – officer – do you know what hospital he's at?"

"I take it _that_ wasn't on the news. Kid got stabbed. Listen, I can't give that out, you understand? It was personal info. Now," he said, "I'll show myself out."

Kate turned to Tom, her face frustrated. "I was so sure," she said, dropping down to Jake's bed in grief.

"Do you still want to tell the other kids?" Tom asked after a few minutes.

"Tell me what?" Sarah demanded, sticking her head in. "Sorry, I had to show the officer out. He got lost."

"Sarah, I need to tell you a secret."

"I'm all ears."

"If you spread it, no allowance for a week."

"Scout's honor."

Kate dried her tears and looked strait at Sarah. "Jake isn't your brother."

Sarah's mouth dropped open. "Now I understand," she said.

Tom paled. Kate watched him, and then looked at Sarah, who clamped her mouth shut. "I'm sorry."

Kate glared at her. "Tell."

"I, I was watching once. Tom… h-he was talking to Jake… and, and…." she shook her head. "He had Jake's shirt off and was forcing him in the closet. That's all I saw."

Kate's jaw dropped and she turned to Tom. "You better have a damn good explanation," she growled.


	10. It's A Secret

Sarah looked at the ground as Tom started talking. "Well, Jake was cold! I was trying to get him into a coat or something to warm him up."

_How convent, _Sarah thought as she left the room. She went into her own room. Looking around, she saw that Jake had left a note-book in her room the last time he'd been in there.

She grabbed it, looking at the spiral-bound notebook. It was blue. Jake's chosen notebook cover, she thought. Inside, she opened it, looking at the title:

_Jake's Journal. Read further then this and die._

Hmmm, she thought, She opened it to the first page, dated back about a year ago. "Dad hit me." That was all it said. The next page was blank, and then the page after had writing on it.

_I'm afraid I've discovered something Dad's up too. I'm not sure what it is. He's up at all hours of the night. Money in the account is really dwindling. I saw over his shoulder. He practically decked me! "Jake, why are you sneaking up on me like that, you little asshole?" He grabbed me and nearly ripped my arm out. He tried to drag me to the closet, but I got away and ran to my room._

Three days later

_Dad is scared of something. Today he locked me in the closet for four hours when I said hello to him. He had my arms tied behind my back and a gag tied over my mouth. He told mom I was with a friend from school – asshole. _

Sarah gagged as she read through the journal. Jake detailed his father's findings. He suspected him of gunrunning, then murder, and then being dealt in the mob. She almost threw up when she read that Seth hit him over the head with a pipe – and laughed about it.

_Wow, little brother, I never knew,_ she thought. She threw up when she read that Tom had started touching him.

She cried when she read the last entry:

_Mom doesn't care, dad doesn't care. I hate myself. Each day I have to get through the day, to put my father in jail. It makes me sick to keep living, but I don't want to let him win. If I give in now, it'd be a disaster. I can't die. I can't kef—_it ended there.

Sarah was in shock. She moved in slow motion. After today, her mother would think that she'd faked the whole thing,

She smiled when she heard the pitter-patter of Mike's feet. "Hey Mike! Get in here," she called.

"Yeah?" Mike asked.

"Read this and tell me if you think that Jake is making it up."

It took Mike a little more then half an hour to read the diary. He swallowed about halfway through it, and put it down. "No way in hell," he said softly.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Sarah asked.

Mike sighed, and then nodded. "What can we do? We can't tell Dad. Can we tell mom?"

"No!" Sarah said. Mike jumped, startled.

"We can't confront him yet," warned Sarah. God knows what he was capable of and how far he would go to protect his secret.

"We need more evidence," continued Sarah, nervously looking around to make sure Tom wasn't eavesdropping.

"Does this mean Dad kidnapped Jake?" asked Mike, nervously stuttering the words. He suddenly didn't feel safe in his own house. Sarah shrugged in response.

"I'm not sure. Maybe," she replied.

"Mike. Let's go. Time for practice," shouted Kate from downstairs. Mike sighed.

"I got to go to soccer. Try to stay out of Dad's way," warned Mike as he hurried down the stairs. Sarah nodded and retreated to her room. Her father was up to something really bad. What was it? Had he killed someone? Had he taken Jake? There were too many questions and not nearly enough answers.

…………………..

Morton grumbled as he pulled into a small gas station. The need to keep away from Seth meant he had to keep moving from location to location. Jake was currently sound asleep in the trunk. Morton quickly filled up the tank and went inside to pay. The cashier was nowhere to be found. Morton glanced behind the desk and found a teenage boy lying in a pool of blood. Morton gulped nervously as he looked around. The gas station was empty. Morton rushed back to his car. He was five feet away when he felt a sharp pain in his back. Then another. Bullets ripped through his chest. He had been wrong to cross Seth. As Morton lay dying on the ground, he saw one of Seth's cronies head for the car. Morton didn't recognize him. The man stopped and turned towards Morton. He walked over and took Morton's keys out of his pocket. Morton coughed up blood. The man smiled and walked back to the car. Morton groaned as the man drove off, taking Jake with him. Then he slipped into eternal sleep.

……………..

Sarah decided to take a walk to clear her head. She wanted to be as far way from Tom as possible. Sarah sighed and stretched as she walked around her block. The sun was starting to go down so the street was deserted. Sarah rounded a corner and stopped dead in her tracks a man dressed all in black burst from some bushes. Before Sarah could react, the man hit her in the side of the head with a baseball bat. Sarah felt her skull crack as she fell to the ground. The attacker hit Sarah all over her body before running off. Sarah lay broken and bleeding on the ground. Bone was sticking out of both of her legs. Sarah said a small prayer as she heard some neighbors start rushing over to her and one call the police. Sarah slipped into blackness after that.

………………

Wade Coates dragged the still sleeping Jake Baker into the cabin. Seth was waiting for him. Wade threw Jake down on the ground and walked over to Seth.

"Morton is dead," explained Wade, lighting a cigarette.

"No one saw you?" asked Seth. Wade shook his head, blowing some smoke rings into the air. Seth smiled and nodded. Then he took out a gun and fired through Wade's skull. Wade crumpled into a heap. Seth wiped some blood off his face and picked up Jake. So much for this hide out. He quickly made a beeline for the backyard, where his car was waiting for him.

.,…………..

Sarah's condition was critical. Her skull was fractured and her brain was swelling. The intense surgery entered it's third hour with Sarah barely hanging on and surgeons racing to save her damaged brain. The news of Sarah's attack made Connor very nervous. He had been sitting in his brother's room when Sarah arrived at the hospital. An hour after her surgery started, Tyler was taken back into the operating room. Connor paced his brother's room, trying to come up with a plan. Seth was tying up loose ends. It was just a matter of time before he came after Connor. Jake was missing. Tyler was recovering from a stab wound. Sarah was a wreck. Who was next? Sarah obviously knew something. Did anyone else in the family know?

……………

Jake woke up to find himself tied down on a table. What the hell? His shirt was off and his chest and stomach were wet. Seth appeared above Jake.

"How many of your siblings did you talk to?" asked Seth.

"What?" asked Jake. Seth held up two wires he had torn from a lamp and held them to Jake's body. Jake screamed as he was shocked.

"Did I stutter? Who else knows you're a spy?" asked Seth. Jake closed his eyes and sighed, trying to find something in his brain to get him out of this. He had nothing. The silence of the secluded area he was in was pierced by Jake's loud, piercing screams.


	11. Mike Baker: Missing

Chapter 11

Seth finished his gruesome interrogation of Jake after discovering that the other boy Connor was the only one who also knew about the murder. Seth had only one more loose end to tie up. He dragged Jake to a closet and tied him up inside. Jake was crying a little from being shocked but at the same time was trying to act tough about it.

"Quit whining," snapped Seth as he locked the closet door. He was so frustrated that two boys had nearly ruined everything he had worked so hard on. Seth picked up his cell phone and pressed number 4 on his speed dial. A man picked up after two rings.

"Yes, Seth," greeted the caller.

"I have a new job for your, Mr. Hopkins. I'm prepared to pay accordingly," explained Seth.

"I'm listening," replied Hopkins.

"I need a kid picked up and interrogated. I need to lay low for a little while so I need someone else to do it," explained Seth.

"No problem. Who's the target?" asked Hopkins.

"Connor White. He lives on Birch Street," replied Seth. "Bring him to the safe house."

"No problem, Seth. See you in a bit," assured Hopkins. Seth hung up. His paranoia took over and he locked every door and window and turned off all the lights. He wasn't taking any chances of someone seeing him.

…………….

"Hey, Connor. Connor." Connor turned around as Mike Baker came rushing over to him.

"Mike. I thought you were the hospital," exclaimed Connor.

"Mom took us all home. Sarah needs some rest. Any word on Jake?" asked Mike. Connor shook his head.

"My dad won't tell me anything," replied Connor. "So what's up? I was just out getting some fresh air."

"I need to tell you something. You need to know this because your Jake's best friend," started Mike. Connor nodded. Maybe this was something about Jake's kidnapping.

"My dad has been abusing Jake," explained Mike. Connor's mouth dropped open.

"For how long?" asked Connor.

"Not sure. At least a few months," answered Mike. "I think my dad hurt Sarah because she found out." Connor couldn't believe it. All this time he thought Seth had grabbed Jake. Was it possible that it was Jake's dad who was behind the kidnapping?

"Connor. Come on dinner! Then we're going to visit Tyler!" David shouted from his front porch.

"Ok, Dad. I'm-," Connor was cut off as a van pulled up and two masked men got out and grabbed Connor. A third one grabbed Mike.

"Hey! Connor! Police!" David drew his gun and ran towards the attackers. Connor and Mike had been thrown in the van. One of the men opened fire, forcing David to take cover. They laid down cover fire long enough for the van to speed off. David watched helplessly as it turned a corner.

………………..

Seth opened the door as Hopkins and three men arrived. Two of the men were dragging Connor. Connor's face was covered in blood and his clothes were ragged. A third man dragged in Mike Baker.

"What's he doing here?" asked Seth.

"He was with the other boy," replied Hopkins. Connor was thrown to the ground. He had been beaten up pretty bad. His nose was gushing blood, his left eye was black, and his lips were swollen. His breathing was ragged and weak.

"He only knows that he saw blood in your garage and a knife in your trash. That's it. I continued the interrogation just to make sure," explained Hopkins.

"What about the other boy?" asked Seth. Mike was beaten up but not as bad.

"He knows nothing," replied Hopkins. Seth nodded.

"Thanks. I deposited money in your account," explained Seth. Hopkins nodded and he and his men left. Seth knelt down next to Connor and grabbed the collar of his shirt. Connor drooled blood and moaned. His lips were so swollen and beat up he could barely talk.

"Water……. please." The words came out as a tortured whisper. Seth smiled.

"First, we're going to have a talk."


End file.
